Danon said that the purpose of the operation was to make the residents of the south feel safe from rockets, and had failed to achieve that goal.

“The goal of the operation was to bring security for the residents of the south and the fact is that today there is no sense of security among residents of the south,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

“Throughout the operation there was a conciliatory and hesitant approach: On July 15, the Cabinet gambled and agreed to a ceasefire without damaging the terrorist tunnels.

“Hamas was the only one to determine whether the citizens of Israel will live in security or fear.

“Half of Israel's citizens remain under threat of missiles.

“The government has ignored the demand of people to topple Hamas and acted hesitantly. We must return to the spirit of the national camp which is built on determination and consistency,” declared Danon.

The comments came after Netanyahu, in a press conference with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, attempted to respond to the outpouring of criticism for his unilateral decision the night before, in which he sealed a ceasefire deal with the terrorist group Hamas.

"With the establishment of the ceasefire I can say that this is a great military and diplomatic achievement," he claimed.

Netanyahu stated that "Hamas has been hit critically and didn't receive any of the demands it set."

When confronted with the fact that he did not topple the Hamas terrorist regime, something he vowed to do while campaigning in 2009 if faced with constant rocket fire, Netanyahu said, "Even the U.S. didn't topple Al-Qaeda. To topple a terror organization is not simple."

Speaking about the road forward in terms of security, Netanyahu said "we will not suffer a drip (of rockets) on any part of the state of Israel, and as we've responded - we will respond even stronger."

Netanyahu and Danon have been at odds in a tension which came to a head last month when Netanyahu fired Danon from his role as Deputy Defense Minister over what was said to be "statements expressing a lack of faith in the government and in its prime minister in particular."

After Netanyahu had reportedly met with ministers to "soften" them up for Israeli concessions, Danon firmly stated "you do not do business with a terrorist organization. The agreement being put together will allow Hamas to raise its status on the Arab street and upgrade its military capabilities."